Baggage
by Chibi-Ra-Chan
Summary: NejiSaku One-shot collection. Becasue when it all boils down, doesn't everyone want someone else's baggage to go with theirs? Chapter 7: "All Tenten knew was that a pink haired medic was slowly stealing away her stoic teammate. And that just would not do.
1. Platonic

Baggage

By: Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Pairing: NeiSaku

A/N: Yay a bunch on NejiSaku drabbly goodness to warm your hearts. Sidenote: OMG I'm writing for Naruto now!

---

Platonic- Platonic Love is a fools name for affection between two persons who have not yet become intimate

"Neji-Kun and My relationship is merely platonic Ino, there is nothing going on."

"Riiiiight. Sakura, you need to read through the lines. You like Neji, Neji likes you! It's not that difficult to understand."

"What lines!?"

"Hmmm...Let see he only allows you to tend to his injuries"

"That's because He wants the best care he can ge-"

"He refused the Hokage's medical Aid Sakura. You can't get better care then Tsunade-Sama"

"...That doesn't mean that he likes me Ino."

"Alright then example number two he takes you out to lunch at least once a week."

"That doesn't mean anything. Naruto and I go to ichirakus all the time that doesn't mean that we're involved in any-"

"That's because you force Naruto to buy the food. Neji picks you up from the hospital and takes you to an actual restaurant, which he pays without you having to ask him."

"So-"

"He actually talks to you during said lunch dates-"

"It's not a date!!"

"Right, And I'm enrolling myself for the Gai's 'Perfect youth' Marathon around fire country.

"..."

"I thought so. Anyway moving on. He talks to you. And not one word answers either. Do you know how many conversations I've actually carried out with his princely Hyuuganess?"

"...Seven?"

"None! No a one. Face it Sakura, he's interested."

"Well...even if he wants to take our very platonic relationship higher, I don't."

"..."

"What? I don't!! Don't give me that look Ino!!"

"Alright then lets go through the reasons why your in love with Neji."

"I'm not in love with anyon-"

"You totally freaked out because you couldn't find the perfect gift for his birthday. I do not seem to recall you that paranoid about Kiba, Shikamaru or any of your other 'platonic' friends birthdays."

"I..I Just wanted to make sure I go him something relevant that he wouldn't find useless..."

"You got him a kitten Sakura, he doesn't even like animals. But lets not forget who he named it after..."

"...He didn't name it after me!"

"He calls it Blossom.'

"But-"

"It has pink spots."

"..."

"I thought he was going to name it 'Cat' and be done with it, but no... He named it after his favorite Medic-Chan."

"...I don't like this conversation."

"Not caring...lets see You wait for him at the gate when you hear a rumor that he's coming back."

"I'm a medic! I'm there to make sure he's-I mean no one's injured."

"Who did you ask to go to the summer festival with? Hamm?"

"Shut up. Stop grinning like that!"

"Who did you take to Naruto and Hinata's Wedding? Hmmm?"

"I told you we're just friends Ino!! There is nothing romantic between me and Neji-Kun-"

"You call him Neji-kun"

"...what- that doesn't mean-"

"You haven't called anyone with -kun since Sasuke left."

"...I call must call some one else with that honorific it not as if..."

"No one. Not Naruto, Not Kakashi, Not Anyone but Neji, face it Sakura-Chan, you're in love."

"Ino I swear that I am not. I do not act any differently around Neji-_**San**_ then I do Anyone else. We are merely close friends and nothing mo-"

"Sakura-Chan, Are you busy now?"

Both girls' heads whipped around at lightning speed to find the subject of there conversation standing behind them, eyes focused on Sakura. Ino rolled her eyes, this was sad.

"No, not at all Neji-Kun! I was just clearing up an issue with Ino. " The pink haired girl turned to glare at her best friend, but grinned wildly as she turned back to The Hyuuga. "What was it you wanted?"

"...Come on we're going to lunch." At this, Sakura's smile widen 10 fold as she and Neji walk (well Sakura skipped) away from Ino and her speculations. Said Woman sighed as she watched the couple leave, not missing when Neji took Sakura's hand and held it in his own.

"Silly Forehead Girl, when will you learn that platonic only means that your not intimate- Yet."


	2. Mine

Mine- Belonging to me if I can hold it or steal it.

For once it was not me who was asking him out on a date. Somewhere in the back of my mind I realized the irony of the situation. After years of asking Sasuke out on a date, and him turning me down, here he was asking ME out on a date.

"Um..." I mumbled a bit, very uncomfortable with the way his sharringan eyes bore into me. "Sasuke, I..., You know that I'm going out with Neji-kun, why...why are you asking me?" I nervously. this was really not the way I wanted things to go right now. He rolled his eyes.

"Sakura, I know that you aren't really serious about the Hyuuga so stop..." Sasuke stopped talking and I felt a pair of strong arms pull me away from him. I could tell by the angry Chakra that it was Neji-kun.

Oh Boy. That wasn't good.

Neji wouldn't let go of my arm, and had it so that I was behind him. I didn't need to see them to know that they were glaring daggers at each other. Through clenched teeth Neji growled out "Back off Uchiha, She's mine" While an inner part of me wanted to yell at for being fought over like a piece of meat, but the sociable part of me enjoyed being protected like that. Without saying anything else Neji released my arm, but quickly took my hand and stormed of fuming, and dragging me with him the whole way.

Smiling brightly I muttered just loud enough so that he could hear, "Thank you Neji-kun"


	3. Rank

Rank- Relative elevation in the scale of human worth.

She saw them whisper when they walked hand and hand through town. She heard the gossip about them spreading the minute they walked passed. She saw the way the female academy students looked at him, and thought, 'why is he with her?' She didn't need the Byakugan to see that.

Sakura wasn't stupid. She knew that Neji was above her in Rank, that she shouldn't even be a _blip_ on his radar.

Her mother and father were just civilians, she was loud, she had very little patience, she couldn't stand formal surroundings, she had no blood limit, she didn't come from a clan, these were only a few of the reasons the Hyuuga Clan disliked her.

It puzzled her too sometimes. Why would someone who had everything in the world available him, want her?

She tells him that she's not from a clan and has no Doujutsu.

He tells her that she's formidable even without them. That he doesn't want to be on the receiving side of one of her punches. (Not that he hasn't already)

She tells him that she is horrible in formal situations that she doesn't do well with traditions.

He says that she isn't as bad she seems to think, That she'll learn how to deal with tradition like he did.

She says that she's overly emotional

He say that he already knows that.

She tells him that his family hates her.

He tells her 'Let them hate you, They're not marrying you, I am.'

When Neji says that, Sakura can't think of any other reasons as to why they shouldn't be together. She just looks at him dumbly.

'Did he just propose to me?'


	4. Destiny

Destiny- A tyrants authority for crime and a fools justification for failure.

"It doesn't matter." Neji mumbled as his girlfriend bandaged a nasty looking wound on his arm. Sakura rolled her eyes and briefly though that men could be such sore losers.

"Don't be such a baby, admit it Naruto got you good. It doesn't have to be such a big deal." She rolled out more bandage and shook her head. Neji looked straight forward refusing to budge from his position.

"It was destiny. I had no control over it."

Sakura fought the urge to snort. 'Here we go again.' "You only use destiny to justify when you fail. You can't do that."

"I do not fail, _Haruno_."

"Everyone fails, _Hyuuga-Sama _and that's besides the point. If you believe in destiny so much you can hurt or murder without remorse and claim that they were destined to be killed by you. No one would responsible for anything." She shifted sitting down next to him on the hospital bed, trying to get better access to his upper arm.

"Maybe it really is destiny."

"You wouldn't agree if Sasuke used that excuse to try and come back to leaf now would you?"

The pale eyed boy visibly became angry. "He has no excuse. He left of free will."

"But-"

He yanked the bandage out of her grasp and pushed her against the bed. "No buts." She opened her mouth to argue but he kissed her before a word came out. She pulled him closer and things started to get….interesting…

"Hey, Sakura-chan can you cheek out this bruise I got today? That stupid Nej- GET OFF MY SAKURA CHAN!!!"

Needless to say, Naruto found them 'arguing' about destiny a lot. And frankly ,he didn't think either one would ever win the argument.


	5. Free

Baggage

Chapter 5; Free

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating: T

Notes: If anyone saw the ending of last season's Grey's Anatomy, Then you'll understand where the idea for this came from. I thought that it would fit Sakura pretty well, so I decided to give it a try. Enjoy!

--

Sakura stood in the middle of her fiancée's room a small scroll clutched in her porcelain hands.

She knew his cousins were behind her, standing in the door frame, waiting for her to do something, anything to let them know what to do. Poor Hinata would be biting her nails, a habit she picked up as she learned to stop stuttering. Hanabi would be next to her pulling the tiara that she had complained about all yesterday, and ever other day since the announcement of their wedding. In another time, another place she would have smiled at their concern for her, but not now.

Her glazed over green eyes took in the room around her. To anyone else it would look like it was still inhabited. The slightly rumpled blankets on the bed, the scrolls skewed across the desk, even the bird feeder that hung out the window, full of feed.

Neji loved his birds.

But Sakura knew better.

The picture of his mother and father that he kept near the bed was missing, as was the red notebook he kept under the left corner of the bed. He called it a 'ledger' Because it sounded more official, yet she knew it was really his diary. The roll of bandages he hung next to the closet were not there. Everything that made the boring room his was gone.

With an almost blank stare she turned around to face them, Her movements slowed down by the formal wedding regalia of the Hyuuga clan.

"He's- He's gone..."

She couldn't breathe.

As a medic she knew there was no medical reason for the lack of air going into her lungs, but none the less she felt her airway constrict as she struggled for air. She paced franticly around the room, shaking away Hinata and Hanabi who were trying to hold her back. The thick layered white kimono that engulfed her small form allowed little, to no, room to walk. "It's all gone! All of it!" She pulled off the bed sheets in a near frantic search for any trace of him.

"Miss Sakura! Don't-"

"No! The photo of Hizashi and Hanaza! It's gone, Neji always takes it with him, always! His diary, He wouldn't leave it! Neji knows I'd read it! He's-" She gasped for air.

Neither of the Hyuuga Heiress' knew quite what she was talking about but tried to calm her down regardless. Sakura felt like she was being pulled down, The weight of her wedding ropes seemed ten times their actual weight. It was pulling her down, and she couldn't breathe. "Get it off, Get it off!! Get it off! Please I can't-" She pulled desperately at the floor length obi, tears flowed down her checks though she didn't know it.

Finally understanding a bit, Hinata, in a momentary second of authority, rushed her little sister out of the room and sent her to get the Hokage. Desperate to get Sakura to take in air, she helped her friend undo the intricate robes. One by one they fell away until the pink hair Kunoichi was standing on a pile on expensive silk and embroidery, in only her flimsy shift. Pulling the gold band off her finger, she stared at it intently.

"I'm free." Sakura's eyes welled up with tears and she dropped to her knees. Hinata watched her best friend with sad eyes. Strong, Independent Sakura, was now nothing more then a pretty doll, broken but still beautiful. Sakura turned to look at her friend, her almost cousin. "I'm free..." Stealing another glance at the ring, the thing that once stood for everything she wanted in life. Then at the small scroll in her other hand, a sad reminder of the fact that she'd never have any of it. She dropped both. "I'm free...Damn it." With that Sakura Haruno, The would be Sakura Hyuuga, completely broke down.

Heart wrenching sobs raked through her entire body Tears flew out of her eyes like rivers, soaking the silly under dress she wore and Hinata's kimono as well. Hinata tried to comfort the almost bride, but it was no use. Staring at that damn piece of paper, she knew things would never be okay again.

_Dear Miss Haruno, We are sorry to inform you that one, Hyuuga Neji, was killed this morning returning to leaf..._

_-_

_Owari_

-

Notes: That was tough to write. Poor, poor Sakura-Chan. (poor, dead Neji-kun) I hate killing off Neji, but sometimes it has to be done. Please leave a review and tell me what you think!

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra


	6. Somber

Baggage

Chapter Six; Somber

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating; T

Notes; Contains mild spoilers from the latest Naruto chapter, so beware. There is a lot of speculation on how the battle will end as well.

---

"It's so calm here" she says "This moment now, I can't remember it being this calm before." A sad smile graces her pale lips, but the gesture doesn't quite make it to her eyes.

What she had said rings true. The dusk seemed to calm everything down, even as the ruins of the once great Konoha lay around us. I stand nearly ten feet away from her, and she swings her feet distractively over the edge of the statuesque Hokage tower, that had survived by some miracle.

As far as I can see, everything we had ever grown up loving was either collapsing or totally obliterated. The rebuilding had already begun, but the damage from war would stand for years to come.

The village had been so focused on the Akatsuki that no one even considered the possibility that Hebi, Taka whatever they called themselves, could even fathom a full blown attack. Or that Uchiha Sasuke would turn on his once home, again.

Countless lost their lives in the battle that had started with Pein's infiltration, even more lay dead after The Uchiha decimated all who dared to get in between him and his goal of complete annihilation.

A goal that. for the most part. he had succeeded in obtaining.

Of course the village had not completely been destroyed, most civilians were evacuated, moved to different villages within the fire countries borders, but the shinobi loss had been high.

For Sakura personally, it was exceptionally high. Her jounin leader, Hatake fell during the initial invasion whilst taking on Pein, her best friend Ino, slain trying to assist Chouji during the very same battle. Shizune, had still not been found, almost two weeks later. The newest member of her team, Sai lost his life defending her from the very man he was intended to replace. And even Sasuke lay dead at the end, the final blow delivered by her beloved Shishou.

I could understand her loss to a degree, while no one on my team had lost their lives, several family members had. It was not the same, but it hurt none the less.

In an oddly backward way, Danzou's interference had been good for something. Naruto was safe, unaware on the siege of their village.

But for Sakura the thought was probably of little comfort. She had come out of the ordeal physically fine but anyone could see that she was scarred deeply on the inside.

I never thought I would find her here, in the pale Hyuuga colors that my cousin had lent her. The entire ordeal had left the usually vivacious girl rather distant and numb, and Hokage-sama had her put her under the protection of my family until the village was back to normal if that could ever happen.

And since then Sakura had been my personal responsibility, one that I had taken on my own accord. If nothing else, this entire experience has only reinforced the all too real shortness of the shinobi life.

Nothing could be taken for granted.

She's looking at me now, full on, her usually happy sea foam green eyes now taking on the appearance of dying autumn foliage and there is no other room for any other thoughts in my brain.

"Neji-kun." Tears sparkled in her the corners of her eyes, and it took me a moment to remember to breathe. The younger girl was clearly a liability to my mental well being, but I shrug the thought away when she bites her bottom lip nervously.

I don't want it to be like this.

"I wish I had left with them." The raw hopelessness in her voice makes my stomach fall.

I swear I don't want this.

She raises herself to her feet and moves quickly, so that only from years of training I can follow her movements. My pearl eyes widen.

In a mere second, her small hands are tangled in my shirt, I can feel the harsh breathing against my slightly exposed clavicle as she desperately tries not to cry.

"I wasn't even good enough to go with them." The dam breaks and tears are now soaking the pristine white fabric of my shirt. She cries into my chest and I wish that I could somehow absorb the pain from her. I awkwardly pat her back in a pitiful effort to provide comfort.

The wails of sadness that escape her are deep and heartbreaking. Completely and utterly devastated. And I think that just for a moment that I am going to be selfish.

Everyone has always seen Sakura as the cheerfully smiling medic, the determined kunoichi, the Hokage's brilliant student. But I was the only one to see this side of her, the broken, utterly grief-stricken Sakura. It had been over two weeks since the attack that lead to the loss of so many she loved and she could have broken down to anyone else, to Tsunade-sama, to Hinata, to Yamato-san. Anyone.

But she had trusted me enough to seek comfort from me, of all people. The thought made my heart beat uncharacteristically faster, and my arms pulled her flush against me, to provide all the comfort that I could. It was the least I could do for the amount of faith she had placed in me.

Maybe it means nothing, but I'm afraid to move away.

I rest my chin against the top of her head, tired even though I had not actually done anything strenuous. "Maybe you were just strong enough to keep on living." She cries even more at my words, her feet failing her as the only thing holding the two of us up is me. I'm timorous, yet honored that Sakura has trusted me enough to keep her from literally and figuratively falling over the edge.

There is a reason that I do not want this, but in this somber moment, I've forgotten it completely.

---

Ending notes; Okay so I didn't kill Neji off this time, but I've killed off nearly everyone else. This was inspired by a beautiful song by Vienna Teng called Recessional. Anyway this is just an idea that came from the resent happening of the manga. Neji needs more love.

Please drop a review and tell me what you think!

Forever and Eternally

,

-Ra


	7. Stolen

Baggage

Chapter Seven; Stolen

By Chibi Ra Chan

Rating; T

Summery: "All Tenten knew was that Haruno Sakura was defiantly stealing Neji from her, and that just would not do at all."

---

I should be the one with him. After all, I've been his teammate for almost 8 years and within those years one of only females he's even spoken to, let alone shown any sort of interest in.

Therefore it is only logical that I, Tenten, should be the one Neji falls in love with.

At least that used to be the way things went until she showed up and blew my carefully laid out plans to bits.

Haruno Sakura ruined everything.

I was happy at first, when she was temporarily assigned to our squad. It was for a guard mission to Kumo, nothing too difficult, but because of the long trek, a medic was assigned. It was a nice change of pace to have another girl on the team.

It was a much needed change of pace from the usual monotone and youth speeches.

And in all honesty, Sakura is a great person, cheerful, intelligent, comfortable to be around, but right away I should have known something was up when Neji took the time not only to listen to her, but to even provide witty comments back every once in awhile.

We've been on missions with other members of the Konoha 12 before, but never has he gone out of his way to talk to them outside of barking orders.

I should have known, but thinking that everyone was naturally friendly around Sakura, I said nothing.

Soon enough, Sakura became a regular fixture on our activity roster, and alarmingly it was often at Neji's request. Still I stood by and did nothing, smiling as this pink hair girl wormed her way into Neji's affections.

Affections that took me years of trial and error to gain, she was collecting with ease in a few short months.

I blame her for ruining Team Gai. It was with her encouragement that Lee decided to taken on his own genin team. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Lee, he really is a great jounin leader and his genin love him (Kami help us), but he's always busy with them, he's almost never around to do missions with us. There is hardly enough time to be teammates anymore. Without Lee there was a blaring hole it the set up of the team.

A hole that she wasted no time filling in.

Though I'm pretty sure it was more of Neji's will then hers, Neji began to actively train for ANBU, going on more challenging and vigorous missions. Mission that I was sorely shocked to find, did not include me.

Worse still was that a large portion of the time he took her along with him as a medic. Her, someone he had called, and I quote "A weak, sad excuse for a kunoichi." when were 13. Not me, the teammate who had been by his side since day one. And as if to pour salt into an already festering wound, when Sakura couldn't come with him, She was always the medic who treated him when he returned.

He actually refused all other medics, even the Hokage and Shizune.

My heart burned the first time it happened. I tried to calm myself by reasoning that even by some strange twist of reality Neji was romantically interested in Haruno Sakura (the thought sickened me), she didn't return those (nonexistent) feelings.

Sakura was in love with Uchiha Sasuke, that was common knowledge. Even though it had been 5 years since the Uchiha's defection from leaf, she still pined for him and couldn't want my Neji right?

…Right?

Wrong.

Tonight is the third night she's had dinner with the Hyuugas. Not That I'm spying on them or anything. Because the thought that Neji has invited her over to introduce to his family is so ludicrous that it's laughable.

Still, this is unprecedented, Lee and I are his only close friends and even with us we've only been invited to the main branch compound twice in eight years.

The thing that keeps driving me completely crazy with (totally, unnecessary, paranoid) worry is that I can't figure out any reason for her to actually be there.

………..

Well, that isn't entirely truthful. When Naruto began to court Hinata the main branch had him over every night for a week to sort out the conditions for the two to date. (and even then Hiashi was not a happy camper)

So it stand to reason that there is a very high probability that if Neji and the main branch have taken an interest in Sakura, then it is for romantic dating.

And everyone in the great shinobi nations knew that in Hyuuga speech 'dating' is a direct synonym of "Marriage".

Dear Kami, the room just began spinning.

Neji and Sakura, marrying….each other?!?!

Marriage and Neji are two words that I haven't even dared to think about for myself, and now with the added element of Sakura it is all most too much to bare.

Would Neji want to marry Sakura? Judging by his unusually good temper towards her, the sidelong glances that I wasn't meant to see, and his latest trend to seek her out when I know for a fact there is not a mission for the two of them, then I'd say yes.

(Not that I was worried about it in any way shape or form.)

Would Sakura consider marrying Neji? She be stupid not to. He's a good man, smart, kind (if you can pry it out of him) and was incredibly considerate to those who he valued.

But more importantly did she love him more then she had loved Sasuke? I'm not stupid even if I did let this just take me without fighting. I saw the soft adoration she bestowed on him when he returned to Konoha safe. I also saw the blind panic that took over her pretty features when he didn't come back safe. I knew that her hands lingered on him too long when she healed his every injury.

Even if I was in a completely justifiable denial about the two of them, You would have to be pretty stupid not to notice the goo-goo eyes they made at each other when they thought no one was around.

……Ew, That is not a place I want my mind to wander.

Neji has slowly but surely slipped out of my grasp, and I did nothing while it happened. I was just to secure in my belief that we were fated for each other. I'm a fool, believing in fate so blindly, Neji had learned his lesson when Naruto kicked some sense into to him in the chunin exams so long ago.

I want to be angry about this, I want to be furious at Sakura for taking him from me, but the logical part of me knows better. Neji is not a piece of meat or something to own. If it was so easy for Sakura to swoop in and 'steal' Neji from me then did I ever really have him in the first place?

No, but I like to think that in some kind of crazy alternate universe, I really stood a chance at having a happy ending with Neji.

I guess I'm getting some of that sense kicked into me now.

---

Notes; Yep, I've managed to write a NejiSaku with almost no Neji or Sakura. I don't know why but I was suddenly stricken with the desire to write NejiSaku from Tenten's point of view, lord knows the poor girl could use some character development.

I'm thinking about writing something like this but with Lee's reaction to our favorite lovebirds. A bit more light hearted then the Tenten angst you've just read.

Please review and let me know what you think!

Forever and Eternally,

-Ra


End file.
